ABSTRACT
Quarters of Old Cairo have always been part of the modern and well-connected metropolis of Cairo through means of communication and transportation. Satellite dishes and air-conditioning machines are spread on the roofs and façades of old houses as an unmistakable sign of modernity. In alley communities, the continuous social circulation and change do not affect the stability of organisation that is, arguably, bound to the place more than to the individuals. The harah's public space started to grasp the essence of modernity exemplified in mobility and dual movements, or what they, arguably, call an exchange of population on a daily basis. After the 1950s and 1960s, inhabitants became less involved in the functional/business activities in the harah, which had to import outsiders in order to operate. Traditional practice, however, retained its viability and existence through different tools, one of which is to re-invent itself in new forms.
